Meant To Be
by Taylor0302
Summary: What happens when Holly J. and Declan run into each other on a busy morning at college? Read and find out :


It was only 8:30 in the morning, and Holly J. already felt overwhelmed. She was last for her first class, and although the disciplinary rules at Yale weren't as strict as they were at Degrassi, she knew she couldn't afford to miss out on valuable class time. At Yale, nobody was treated like a child. The professor's flew through the information they were supposed to teach, and studying and learning the information was completely your own responsibility.

Sighing, Holly J. tried not to think too much about the list of things she had to do. It was only her third week at Yale and she'd already managed to involve herself in many in and out of class projects.

Being an over-achiever was a hard reputation to keep up. But she was smart, and she'd work everything out flawlessly. It was what she knew how to do best.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she shifted her books to one arm and used her free one to pull it out. She had a new email from Fiona.

All of a sudden, she ran into something hard and stumbled backward, almost falling until a pair of strong arms caught her around her waist and steadied her.

"Thanks, I'm so-"

"Holly J.?" the all too familiar and not so stranger asked in disbelief.

"Declan?"

"You're here? I mean, I knew you went here, but I just…can't believe I'm seeing you. You look wonderful."

"Thank you," she blushed, trying to keep her heart beat under control without success. Butterflies arose in her stomach. She hadn't seen Declan Coyne for over a year.

"So, you can do a weeks worth of homework and studying in under an hour, but you can't walk and text at the same time?" he joked. "Ah, even the magnificent Holly. J Sinclair can't do _everything_."

"I've just been…I have a lot on my mind," she finished eventually. "And it was actually an e-mail, from your sister."

Declan shot her a dazzling smile. "Really? What a coincidence. I miss Fiona, how is she doing?"

"I haven't really talked to her," Holly J. admitted dejectedly. "I was about to read what she sent me right when I ran into you."

"Well, how about you come to get some coffee with me? I was just on my way, and I'd love to catch up with you. It's been too long," he said, and Holly J. detected a hint of sorrow in his voice.

"I really can't…" she apologized. "I need to get to class."

"What class?"

"Advanced Calculus 3."

"I just came from there. If you'd like, I could give you the assignment and chapter so you could read it over on your own time. The lesson wasn't hard today, just a recap because the assessment is at the end of the week."

"I don't know," she bit her lip.

Declan tilted his head at her and gave his best puppy dog expression. "Please? You only live once, Holly J. Remember the time I talked you into skipping at Degrassi because you were so stressed out? We had a wonderful time if I remember correctly. Plus, I want to know how your surgery went, how your summer went, how you found out you were adopted…"

"Wow, you certainly know a lot about my life for not even being in it."

"Fiona talks about you a lot."

"I figured."

"And I ask about you when she doesn't mention you," he admitted sheepishly.

Holly J. grinned despite herself. "Thank you for sending me the flowers after my surgery, it was nice of you."

"It was the least I could do since I couldn't be by your side while you recovered."

Holly J. ran her free hand through her hair. She hadn't realized how much she missed Declan. "You know what, coffee sounds great. As long as I'm back within the next hour."

"You have my word," Declan promised. His eyes were twinkling with delight and Holly J. found herself forgetting about all of the reasons she shouldn't go on this date with Declan. Not only did she have a billion things to take care of, but she and Declan were ex's for a reason.

But looking into his glorious grey eyes, she realized that none of those things mattered. What mattered was him and her and this moment.

What mattered was that she loved him, and that she knew deep in her heart, she'd never stopped.

"I've missed you a lot, Holly J.," Declan said softly, as if he were reading her thoughts.

"Shall we go?" he asked, holding out his forearm for her. She grabbed onto it easily and smiled brightly.

"We shall."

Twenty minutes later, Declan and Holly J. were sitting outside a small cafe just off campus.

"This is nice," Holly J commented. "I had no idea a coffee shop existed this close."

Declan chuckled. "Of course you wouldn't know, I doubt you've been outside of the campus walls since school began."

"You're right," she admitted. "But I wish I would have known about this, it would have been a life saver on those mornings I just couldn't seem to get my act together."

"Like today?" Declan tilted his head to the side slightly, teasing her.

"Yes, definitely like today."

"Hello," A perky blonde waitress greeted them. "What can I get for you two today?"

"I'll have the regular," Declan responded, smiling at her politely before turning and winking at Holly J. "And the lady will have an iced mocha latte, also a large."

Holly J. smiled despite herself. Declan had remembered her favorite.

"Will that be all?" The pretty waitress asked.

"Yes, that should do it."

"Okay, it'll be right out." She turned and pranced away, but Holly J. could have sworn she shot Declan a flirty glance before doing so. Holly J shook off the feeling of jealousy, she was probably just over-analyzing her.

"I go here often," Declan informed her. "That's why Jenny was being so friendly. She waits on me all the time."

"Oh," Holly J said with a forced smile. "She seems nice."

"Don't worry," Declan told her seriously. "She's not you, therefore I'm not interested. I never was."

"I didn't say-"

"I know, but I just wanted you to know. I'm not screwing up any of our trust this time, Holly J."

"You make it sound like we're going to be an item again."

"I want to be," he admitted. Holly J. felt her stomach flip as he went on. "I know it's way too fast, but I never got over you Holly J. Nothing feels right when we're not together."

"Declan..."

"I know you want to take it slow, if you even want to take this anywhere at all, but I just wanted to let you know that I still love you. I'll always love you, and I need to make myself clear. I don't expect anything from you, Holly J., but I just couldn't hold my feelings in any longer."

"I love you too," she said softly, feeling a warmth radiate through her body.

"You do?" Declan asked in surprise

"Of course. Declan, you were my first everything. My first real relationship, my first...well, you know...and my first love. I don't think I could ever get over you completely. But I don't think I want to."

"That's so great to hear! That makes me so happy."

"But Declan, this doesn't mean we're a couple. I want to take this slow and do this the right way this time. No more jumping into things. I've gone through a lot in the past year, I've grown up. I'm ready for a grown up relationship. Not some teenager fling where we act on our every emotion."

"I'll give you as much time as you need. We can take this as slow as you want to," he promised.

"Good, then this is just a date. Just two people who are genuinely interested in each other, having coffee."

"Feels about right," he smiled, his eyes twinkling.

The two spent the rest of the morning together reminiscing, laughing, talking about the future, the past, and everything the other had missed out on. And it felt perfect.

Like they'd both been away for too long, and now they'd finally come home.

**A/N: Eh, okay. I don't like how this ended...I wanted it to somehow end up with them being official and in a committed relationship again, but then I realized I'd have to do a multi-chapter instead of a one-shot for that to happen. So I hope I made it clear that they were in love with each other, and that they are together, in a way, just taking it slow. But I hope I made it obvious that I see them together at Yale, and forever. They are my OTP :) **


End file.
